A Unique Demon
by jcdenton2012
Summary: What happens when a lesser demon of the warp enters the material universe without any knowledge of what it is, or what it is suppose to do?
1. Chapter 1

The ocean waves crashed against the Cliffside coast as the sun set over the horizon. It was beautiful, a mixture of orange, red, and blue with the silhouettes of two large rocky moons over the horizon. Two guardsmen approached from behind, their Lazrifles raised and prepared to fire at a moment's notice. Behind them were two large Landraiders and a small company of fellow soldiers. However, these men and women milled about in confusion whispering amongst themselves.

"You there! Foul demon!" yelled one of the approaching men. A woman with long white hair looked over her ornately dressed leather shoulders with a look mild apprehension of confusion. She was tall, easily six feet, with lush pink skin and violet eyes. Upon her head were two large demonic horns. The womans hair blew against her body ass he turned back to the sunset, ignoring the pair of approaching guardsmen.

"Is it always this beautiful?" she asked softly.

One of the guardsmen stopped in his tracks, Lasrifle still aimed, his green combat fatigures flapping against this body. His fellow soldier held his gaze on the female Chaos demon as she kept her back turned towards them.

"Why are you! Explain yourself demon of the warp!"

"Hu…" she grunted, turning towards them, "What is this place? It's so quite?"

The pair looked at her. She was dressed in a set of leather thigh boots kept up by a leather garter belt. Upon her chest was an ornate leather and gold laced corset with a golden trimmed top frock. Her arms had a pair of taloned gloves also gold trimmed much like her leather clad panty.

She looked at the two men with curiosity and an unnatural sense of calmness. This both baffled and intrigued the guardsmen who had long since been taught that demons of Warp were sadistic creatures of foul malevolence and nothing more.

"Do you," started one of the men, "even know where you are?"

She stared at him blankly, the wind blowing her long silver hair against her lush body.

"No." she said simply.

The two men looked at each other and shared a sense of unease.

"Do you," continued the previous questioner, "know why we are pointing weapons at you?"

"No." she said simply.

"Are you feeling… alright?" finally asked her questioner.

"I don't know. I…" she stopped to search for the right words, "came here… was sent here… I was split away from something larger than myself to come here. But, I don't know why? I lack context."

The two men eyed one another once again. This time they backed away slightly with their weapons still raised. She continued to stand before them seemingly calm and at ease with no threat of horrific mass murder in her nature.

"We last heard about three days ago. Why have you remained on this Cliffside?"

She looked at them and cocked her head to the side. "I have been here for seven years, always watching along the coast. It is very beautiful. And…" she stopped briefly, "I don't know what else to do. I don't know why I am here and I don't understand what it is that I am suppose to do."

"You are a warp demon. Your kind is SUPPOSE to go on a killing spree when they appear in the Material Universe… why are you so different!?"

She looked at them without a sense of recognition, "I feel no such compulsion to go claim the lives of those around me. I only… I don't know what I should do. Is this normal for my kind?"

The two men looked at her in pure shock. This creature was obviously a lesser demon of the warp, but never in all of mans recorded forty thousand year history had any such demon arrived in the material universe without a preprogrammed sense of destruction. Lesser demons were always shards of the Greater Demons, Demon Lords, and Chaos Gods; always given a purpose, but she had been sent into the real without any of that.

"Do you know why?" asked one of the men. She looked at him blankly.

"No, I do not. I only want to watch the sunset. It is very beautiful. Would you both like to join me?"

She turned abruptly to face the horizon as the sun slowly set over the horizon casting the ocean and sky in darker and darker shades of colors. The two men nodded to one another and approached her with their weapons lowered, flanking her to either side.

Together, the three individuals watched as the sun set and darkness consumed the cliffs. She didn't move, not even an inch, but she did speak, "You intend to kill me don't you? Can you at least tell me why?"

One of the guardsmen felt a knot in his throat as he gripped the Lasrifle firmer in his hands. "Yes, and as to why… I don't have an answer for you. It is obvious that you are not a threat."

"Will I ever see the sunset again?" she asked, innocently.

"As many times as you want."

The guardsman stepped back, placed the Lasrifle against the back of her head, and then he squeezed the trigger.


	2. Chapter 2

"She's doing it again," said Balof as he scratched his fat ass and motioned towards the gently idyllic pond. He was speaking to another guardsman, also in green combat fatigues with a Lasrifle holstered over his back. The two men were smoking, watching, as a strange female demon stood at the edge of a pond in a green pastoral clearing.

"How many times has she appeared on this world? Eight? Nine?" asked his companion.

"Try ten. Always the same, totally non-aggressive, well for a Warp Demon that is. She always appears somewhere and just loiters about taking an interests in the oddest things. The first time we encountered her she was just watching the sun rise and set over a Cliffside. Then we found her drawing smiley faces in some desert sands. And, who could forget that one time we found her picking flowers in the Lord Governors gardens."

"Wasn't that the last time we tried to kill her?"

His companion nodded and took a drag from his Imho stick, "Yeah, after that the guys on top didn't see much merit in just shooting her each and every single time. Especially, seeing as how she never tried to harm anybody on this planet. Personally, I find it just as strange. She's not very…" he took a moment to find the right words, "aggressive… for an enemy of humanity."

"So, why were we ordered to keep our distance?" asked his companion.

"Oh, it's because we have a quests arriving. Apparently, she's interested in this poor little creature. Kind of odd if you ask me."

The two men now looked over their shoulders as the droning sounds of a powerful engine tore through the idyllic pastoral landscape, echoing in the coming of a landraider. This war beast was clad in crimson with gold trim along its sides including the Roman Numerial II with a skull figure at its center.

The treads stopped at a distance and the embarkation ramp dropped with a thud into the soft green glass. Both guardsmen went pale as a trio of power armored giants, Astartes in crimson armor, stepped upon the rich soil with bolters raised and ready for combat.

"Is this her?" asked the one leading the group. This space marine, his armor was old and well adorned in gold with a fine red cape that blew backwards across his shoulder guards.

One of the guardsmen quickly fumbled into a salute causing his friendly other to do the same, "Yes me lord. The foul demon lies ahead. She is… odd… you cannot miss her."

The three Blood Ravens nodded and proceeded forth. As one they approached the female demon as she stood looking out over the pond where fish swam and skipped across the surface causing ripples to form across the water's edge. This creature, she was not a normal demon, more humanisk with beautiful pink skin, long silky white hair, and ornate gold trimmed leather clothing. She turned to face the three Astartes as they approached her from behind, her purple eyes not batting in fear at all.

"I've heard of you from this planets Governor," stated the space marine leading the group through his helms built in vox, "Why do you always return to this place even as its people show you how unwelcome you are?"

She looked at him, somewhat confused, "Unwelcome? I was told that I can visit as often as I wish. Death does not mean the same thing to a demon as it does for a mortal. When I perish I return to Chaos, and from Chaos I am reborn. So, I return…"

"Who said that you can return as much as you want?" asked one of the escorting armored guards.

The demon eyed him innocently, "A man in green clothing. I asked if I would be allowed to continue seeing the sunsets, and he said yes right before he dispatched me back to the Immaterium. So, I was given permission."

She turned to face the pond and smiled, "What are these things?" she asked.

The group of space marines eyed the waters and noticed the fish skipping across the surface, "Baastrout, a fish indigenous to this planet," said their leader.

"Basstrout," repeated the Demon, "I find them fascinating. They are these things that swim in the water, but…" she stopped to process her thoughts, "they also seek to fly like birds. I think they are beautiful, and it saddens me that they live such short lives…"

The leading space marine felt a sting of pity in his heart as he sensed actual remorse from the demon standing before him, "You do realize that they are meant to be eaten… food for the people of this planet." He replied coldly.

She turned to look at him with shock and horror, "Why would anyone eat such a beautiful creature. That's horrible!"

The space marine was taken aback by her retort. Warp demons were not supposed to be this… sympathetic. In fact, this was probably the longest non-threatening conversation that any human had ever had with a warp demon. And, to think that it was the demon was more innocent during the conversation than the human threatening to eat a small little fish.

"You're not a very good demon… you know that?" he stated exasperated if not smirkingly, "Care to tell me why?"

She looked at him, wide eyed, and then sulked in grief, "I am… defective. Whenever I return to the Warp I cannot meld back into the essence of Chaos. Thus, I am forced to continuously return to the Material Universe. I don't know why this is…"

The Space Marine nodded, "That explains a lot, like why you are always so non-confrontational. It seems as though the cruel evils of the warp have not corrupted you and turned you into a foul warp demon of the likes we normally encounter. And, since you cannot meld back into Chaos when you die, you never get reborn with those evils already a part of you."

"Is that good or bad?" she asked innocently.

"Well," started the Space Marine, "It means that you not a malevolent demon of the likes of which we normally encounter. Indeed, when it comes to your inner nature you are much more like a human than a demon. So, for us it's certainly not bad."

She turned to continue watching the fish jump across the water's surface, and felt calmed by the display, "So, I'm like the fish then? I can become something other than what I am? I can leave the water and learn to fly?"

The Space Marine chuckled, "In more ways than you know. Now that I have confirmed that you are not a normal demon… I might have use for a creature such as yourself… There is an unusually eccentric Inquisitor, and from what I understand she's collecting other odd individuals."

"Others? Like me?" asked the demon.

"Not quite. From what I was told it seems like she's also drawn in a fellow Astartes from the Ultramarines and a… well… let's just say not your normal Eldar. I was asked to check up on the reports concerning you, and scout you for 'recruitment.'"

"You want me to join this Inquisitor?" she asked taken aback by the very thought.

"Yes," he replied flatly.

"I see," she said sullen, "but I won't be able to continue seeing the sights of this world will I?"

"Yes, but you will be able to see other worlds."

She looked at him, considering that thought. "Very well," she said at last," pausing and smiling, "Tell me… what is your name? You have not told me."

The Astartes nodded, "Gabriel, Chapter Master Gabriel Angelos."


	3. Chapter 3

"I have a question for you, demon." said Chapter Master Angelos of the Blood Ravens seated opposite the lesser demonic creature. She had agreed to venture forth from her prior world to meet with the soon to be shepherding Inquisitor called Rin at the Craftworld of Yme-Loc, in Segmentum Obscurus. Once she had agreed to this transition, his interaction had become one of transporter as opposed to the prior demon hunter, "Do you know why I volunteered to speak with you? I ask because this ship came from the Eastern Fringe, clear across the galaxy, for this personal exchange."

"No, I do not." She replied, her personality bland and without emotion.

The pair were in a heavily guarded room aboard the Litany of Fury, the 3rd Company's personal Battlebarge and Gabriel Angelos ship of choice when venturing far off the beaten path from the regions of space normally patrolled by his members.

Two Terminators stood behind the temptress demon, with her long silver hair and scantily clad body with leather adorned in gold trim, seated within a metal throne whose stature was clearly designed for another space marine much like her humble host. Each of the two Terminators had bolters drawn just in case she was merely pretending to be some sort of non-malevolent creature. Whether or not their gestures were required for the foul temptress wretch had yet to be determined.

"Well then," said Gabriel, teepeing his gauntleted hands before his face as his elbows rested upon a metal table that separated them, "I am a Blood Angel and our Order of Astardas is somewhat 'different' from say the Ultramarines or Imperial Fists, or really any of the other more 'standard' and heavily regimental warriors of the Emperor. Unlike say, the previously mentioned Ultramarines, for example, who would have just assumed to execute you on sight, we Blood Angels while trained and to a certain degree predisposed to that very course of action, would also like to take a brief opportunity for respite."

He took a deep breath and relaxed shortly, "Here is what I know about you. You are a demon, created a humanisk female body. You are also curious and lack any sort of naturally predisposed attraction to violence. Furthermore, you have shown yourself to be inquisitive and you rapidly respawn in the Material Universe each and every single time you die. Once I take all of these things into consideration, I have something of an idea as to whom or what you really are."

"You do?" she asked, eyebrows raised in excitement. He knew something about who or what she was and such information was very much a lure in conversation.

"Yes, while you may appear to be a Lesser Demon, the truth is that you are in actuality a Greater Demon, but unlike most Greater Demons you do not require possession in order to manifest. This means that you are something that is rarely encountered; you are a Manifestation of a Chaos Gods embodiment. An embodiment, of their embodiment, if you will? This sort of thing is extremely rare and the only example that the Imperium has encountered and can confirm is that of the Ulramarine Captain Uriel Ventris and the Heart of Blood, the favored demon and manifestation of the Chaos Blood God Khorne. You are like the Heart of Blood, a demon that can manifest as a direct embodiment of their patron Chaos God. Now, the big question is which Chaos God do you represent, and for that I already have a pretty good guess."

"You do?" she asked, keenly interested in all that she was hearing.

"Yes, you are curious to a fault, to the point where it is self destructive. And, despite your physical appearance you show no interests in seeking out corporal pleasures of the flesh. These two things taken into account with your passive behavior can mean only one thing, you are Malal's embodiment. Malal, Malice, the Rebel Chaos God, he who rebels both against Order and the anarchy of Chaos itself."

"Is that good or bad?" she asked, not sure what to make of this explanation.

"It means that you are a manifestation of his self-destruction. In your case you represent the self destruction that comes from curiosity. You are passive as a means of obtaining answers, but also to a fault."

"Then why can't I reintegrate back into Chaos when my consciousness returns to the Warp?"

"Because," he replied, "You are an embodiment of his self destruction. You are already exactly what you are meant to be. You cannot reintergrate because as his embodiment you are separate from the laws that govern other demons. Malal can manifest you without a host body just like how Khorne can manifest the Heart of Blood. Even if you die and return to the warp, as his embodiment of curiosity, you can always be resurrected given enough time."

"What do you mean by given enough time?" she asked, taken aback by all this information.

"Demons, whether it be Lesser or Greater, cannot just be summoned on a whim. Brining one into the Material Universe requires vast amounts of Pysker energy that must be collected on our side of the warp. Therein lies an interesting problem regarding you… you can manifest without sacrificing that pool of Pysker energy. This means that either somebody else is continuously spending Pysker energy to keep bringing you back into the Material Universe, or you are a totally unique demon that does not require a spiritual sacrifice."

"Which one do you think that I am?" she asked.

Gabriel Angelos closed his eyes and nodded silently, "I do not know," he said at last.

She frowned slightly and withdrew a modicum of her attention.

"But, I can tell this. Inquisitor Rin, I did some digging on her before I agreed to this request for transporting you clear across the galaxy. Rin is old, easily over one hundred standard Terran years, and yet she appears to have not aged beyond her late twenties. Also, everything that I have heard about the woman suggests that she takes a highly liberal stance within the Inquisition," he suddenly nodded to the two Terminators, "Please leave us."

The two Blood Raven warriors looked at one another, and then turned back to their Chapter Master who was now eyeing them with a chilling stare, "Yes me lord," they replied and left the room, their armor clanking sharply with every step.

Chapter Master Gabriel Angelos waited until the two men had departed and the door to the chamber was sealed before he continued speaking, "There is a Grey Knight, a former Ultramarine Captain, coming to rendezvous with this ship. He will intercept us briefly. This man, he intends to test you. They, the Grey Knights and Inquisition, think Inquisitor Rin is secretly a Pysker in hiding, and the reason you keep getting reborn is because she is using a vast amount of energy to summon you again and again. The Inquisition has suspected this of her for quite some time, and if it is true… then she will be executed for heresy."

"Why ask your guards to leave over this information?" she asked, not sure what to make of this sudden revelation.

"Because, I think that they, The Inquisition, are partially correct. I think that Rin has something to do with you constantly being summoned back from the Immaterium, but I do not believe that either she or her Pysker Rufus are directly behind this phenomenon."

"So, you suspect that the Inquisition has an ulterior motive?"

Gabriel Angelos nodded, "Yes I do. Rin is collecting a crew of borderline heretics and outfitting an experimental Cruiser at the Craftworld of Yme-Loc. I did some digging into the smuggling and crime reports occurring in the Segmentum Obscurus, and certain things seem… off. The Inquisition appears to be doing well catching xenos technology smugglers coming and going from Yme-Loc, but upon closer inspection it appears as though numerous smuggling ships are coming under direct assault from an unknown third party. Once attacked everyone aboard these ships is killed and their cargos are stolen. The Inquisition blames Eldar pirates operating in the area, but if you read through the Imperial Fleet reports coming from this area of space you will notice that there are several inconsistencies."

"Like what?"

"Like the omissions of details concerning the types of weapons used in the attacks. If I had to guess, I would have to say that there is something very wrong going on in that sector."

"What does this have to do with the Grey Knight?" she asked, unable to link the two dots.

"I think that the Inquisition is secretly trying to use the Grey Knight as a means of linking you to Rin, so that they can get rid of her. They likely think that she is onto something big, something that she has no business stumbling upon, thus they intend to use him as a test to filter her out as a possible heretic. If they can prove a link between you and her then it is all over."

"Why tell me all this?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"Because," he started, "I don't think that you two are directly linked. I think that this Grey Knight will fail, and that he will honestly report back his failure. The Inquisition will then cease this avenue of attack on Rin and cover its tracks before she can find out about their lack of faith. That having been said, I am telling you all this for a very specific reason, the Blood Ravens want answers. We know that something is not right in this part of the galaxy and that whatever is going on is directly linked to the Inquisition and in all probability…"

Gabriel Angelos leaned forward a little and went slightly quieter, "This next part does not leave this room," he told her. The Demon nodded.

"I think that the Ultramarines are somehow tied up in all this, but how and why remains unseen."


	4. Chapter 4

"What do you know about this Grey Knight?" asked Chapter Master Gabriel Angelos's to his escorting Terminator guard as they passed through a metal doorway and into a fully sized docking bay aboard the Litany of Fury. This Terminator, Vudrus, had served his Chapter Master for the better part of a decade and was considered not only a capable shield when his Master was confronted in battle, but also a rather notable scholar. The later attribute was what pleased Gabriel Angelos's pragmatism.

Steamy mists was descending from several pipes as the chambers oxygenation cycle completed its rotation creating a fog against the perfectly silver Grey Knight Valkyerie as it sat within the docking bay of his Battle Barge. The Chapter Master watched in anticipation as the metallic hatch at the rear of the aircraft opened with a hydraulic whine. Two eyes, both a mystic blue color, greeted him from within the aircrafts transportation hold.

"He's supposedly a former Ultramarine, an odd pysker found by the Inquisition a while back during an Ork Incursion upon a forge world. As to his former rank or name, those records have long since been sealed and the Grey Knights are refusing to give us any pertinent details. They did say; however, that you would remember him from The Battle of Erebus.

"Erebus Secundus was a long time ago…" said Angelos as he smiled and nodded in approval while reflecting fondly upon his memories of combating some Eldar pirates.

His escorting Terminator snapped to rigid attention as the Grey Knight started to step forward from the Valkyrie. "There is more my lord," he continued as their guest slowly approached from within the shadows, "They say that he is a Passive Blank and a skilled Biomancer. Apparently, he's been using his latent pysker abilities as a Battle Brother for many years without being detected or without knowing of his abilities."

"A Passive Blank?" asked Chapter Master Angelos, genuinely surprised and apprehensive, "Do those really exist? How can one possess yet not possess a soul? Better yet, how could one be unaware that they possessed such a power, and more to the point never be detected by a Chapters' Librarian?"

The Terminator continued to stand at attention as the armored silhouette of the Grey Knight started to emerge from the Valkyrie's darkness, "He is a Passive Blank, his power prior to training never manifested as a constant. Rather than, his power only manifested when his life was put into direct and unavoidable danger at the hands of Pysker energies. As a Battle Brother, his life was always in danger, but only when he was confronted with the surely certain corruption of Chaos did his powers fully manifest. Thus, he remained undetected by the Ultramarine Librarians until a fateful operation where the taint of Chaos threatened him specifically and directly."

"Still… this is odd. The Ultramarines are just like the Blood Ravens when it comes to potential taint by Chaos. They handle things like this internally. How and why did the Grey Knights obtain him?"

"He was betrayed," said the Grey Knight flatly, "And the Inquisition abducted him. Later when he was acquitted of heresy and due to his abilities as a Passive Blank, he was then inducted into the Grey Knights."

"So he doesn't remember anything of his past?" asked Angelos with a hint of pity.

"No, he remembers everything. The Grey Knights did not attempt to erase his memories out of fear of altering his latent abilities as a Passive Blank. For the most part, a Pysker would have had his memories erased, but Blanks are totally different. Their abilities are dependent upon their minds maintained isolation. There are cases where Blanks have even been infiltrated telepathically by Pysker Mirrors, only to lose their capabilities."

"Really? I've never heard of this?" said Angelos, turning briefly to face his Terminator escort.

"I did some brief research into the matter. The Grey Knight known as the 'Blade Breaker' actually managed to alter a Blanks capability after successfully infiltrating the Blanks mind. Thus, we know that they can be corrupted by Mirrors, but such events are extremely rare. Still, the Grey Knights were not willing to risk losing a valuable anomaly like a Passive Blank by deleting his memories."

"I can see the benefits here," said Angelos, nodding in approval, "As a Passive Blank he is undetectable by the Warp Spawn and can interact with the Warp freely whenever he so desires. He has literally the best of both worlds by possessing the capability to activate or deactivate his powers as he so chooses. For an Eldar Farseer or foul Warp Demon, he is the worst possible foe, an undetectable anomaly that changes everything he comes into contact with without any warning whatsoever. He is invisible until he chooses to be seen… such a thing… such a creature… would be very dangerous… if it wasn't an Astardas."

Gabriel watched as the Grey Knight started to walk forwards, his metallically colored power armor clanking with each boot step down the disembarkation ramp. This Knight, his armor shone brightly within the Battle Barges hold, but there was something else… something… strange about him. His presence gave off a very familiar feeling and not the typical unsettling feeling like that of a normal Blank.

"Brother?" asked the Chapter Master, smiling, extending his gauntleted hand.

"Hello Chapter Master, it has been a very long time… I trust that the Second Company fares well… my absence has been… unfortunate." replied the Grey Knight with a hint of personal familiarity.

Gabriel went pale as he shook the Grey Knights open hand, both Brothers bracing themselves at their wrists. That voice, it couldn't be, but it was… The Chapter Master didn't know what to say. He was literally incapable of speech as this… ghost… stood before him.

"You…" he finally managed, "You are suppose to be dead. They even erected a statue on Macragge."

The Grey Knight released a slight chuckle, "You will find that many things are not always so simple, as black and white, as they might always appear." The two Battle Brothers reflected upon those words with Gabriel Angelos slowly adorning a slight smile across his lips.

"I can't tell anyone about this can I?" asked the Chapter Master.

The Grey Knight, still with his helmet upon his head, motioned towards the cargo bays' doors, "I am afraid not old friend. This meeting, my real identity, all of it must remain a secret for the time being. But, before I start testing this demon…"

Angelos watched as several blue robed pyskers started to descend the disembarkation ramp right behind the Grey Knight. They moved in single file, a perfect straight line, towards the holds door. Neither the Chapter Master nor his escorting Terminator bothered to stop them. This was because they had already been informed of the specifics of the test that they were about to perform upon the demon in their custody.

"… I need to inform you of something important," continued the Grey Knight, regaining Gabriels full attention, "The Inquisition is not so much interested in Rin as they are interested in the direction that her investigation might potentially take her. They believe that she plans to investigate the Ultramarines, who have since been tipped off about such a possibility. Thus my former Chapter has decided to install a spy into her ranks."

"A spy?" asked Angelos with a raised eyebrow, "You mean her escorting Ultramarine? I was wondering about that. It seemed… uncharacteristic…. for your former Chapter to offer aid to a Xeno like that?"

"The aid was illusionary, even though under certain rare circumstances the Ultramarines have offered limited contact with Xenos. But, regarding this decision, it was made by Chapter Master Marneus Calgar upon being informed of Brother Leom's open invitation to transport her. As you likely surmised, the decision to transport a Xeno of any type aboard one of our battle barges is not a decision to be made lightly. Calgar was informed of the request and approved it. He anticipated that this sword matron would eventually cause some sort of trouble there go allowing him to install Leom as a potential spy."

Angelos scoffed at such faulty logic, "Even if I was to accept that Calgar approved her transport, where he assumed that she would cause some sort of trouble, why was it necessary to disgrace Brother Leom? Furthermore, the Ultramarines are not known for their espionage capabilities even in the slightest."

"Leom is unaware of his Chapter Master's plans to use him as a spy. The Ultramarines are not the Raven Guard; they do not posses any sort of dogmatic approach to espionage. Thus, they decided to approach this opportunity differently. Ultramarines have a well deserved reputation for being predictable opponents due to their heavily regimented approach to the Codex Astardas. Thus, they manufactured a situation where they could create a spy without first making him a spy. Leom was first to join Rin's crew as token aid, now he will do so as an outcast. Whereas earlier he would have been a potential spy, now he is a disgraced Astardas. This… slight against his honor… is meant to make him more trustworthy to an Inquisitor who is collecting a crew of borderline heretics. I am here to test a demon after all."

Chatper Master Angelos was taken aback by this revelation. The logic was strange… but in a way also brilliant. Chapter Master Calgar of the Ultramarines was sending in an infiltrator disguised as a disgraced Astardas because he deducted, probably correctly, that Rin would trust him more than if he was still an Ultramarine with his honor intact. Since Leom was unaware of this, he could be activated as a spy later on where the Ultramarines could then obtain information into what or why they were being investigated."

"Why so much effort to undermine Rins investigation?" asked Angelos.

"They are not undermining her investigation…" said the Grey Knight with a hint of pride, "They merely want to know the 'why.' The Ultramarines pride themselves on dutiful perfection, so for them to be investigated, it seems… like either an insult or a sudden realization towards a sudden undiscovered introspective error. In all probability Chapter Master Calgar is more interested in correcting an error if one has been made more than covering up such an error. For the Ultramarines, personal honor is at stake here…"

"So they would sabotage one of their own and force him to undergo a Blood Oath in order to satiate their curiosity?"

"There will be no Blood Oath. Chapter Master Calgar may be planning to use Brother Leom as a spy, but he is not so cruel as to enact a Blood Oath upon a fellow Ultramarine for something that was planned by himself. Instead, Brother Leom will become a… exile/token to Inquisitor Rin. His punishment for allowing a foul Xeno to disgrace his Company will be to venture forth without his Battle Brothers with this Inquisitor. For an Ultramarine… such a fate is… harsh."

"I see… well… what happens if Eldar does not create a 'situation' that would allow for Leoms disgrace? Will the Ultramarines instead fabricate one?"

"No, this is a gambit. And, as a gambit… it has already paid off. She challenged Captain Cato Sicarius to a duel as means of entertainment."

"How badly did he beat her?" asked Chapter Master Angelos with a hint of amusement.

"He…" stalled the Grey Knight, "Lost. And since this Eldar, Surtr, was Leom's responsibility, the Captains disgrace became his subordinates. Thus, Leom is now in exile from his Company and will be arriving with this Eldar shortly."

Gabriel Angelos blinked several times as he processed this information. Captain Cato Sicarius losing… to a foul Eldar Sword Matron, "If you don't mind me asking… how did he lose?"

The Grey Knight nodded and motioned towards the holds doors. Understanding the motion, he, the Terminator escort, and Chapter Master Angelos started to move in unison towards the holds exit, "This Eldar is not normal. She is well over 50,000 years old and does not possess a Spirit Stone. Thus, she will also need 'testing.'"

"You intend to duel her?" asked Gabriel.

"Yes," stated the Grey Knight with a hint of anticipation, "Because... of all her possible opponents... I will give her the most trouble."


	5. Chapter 5

The Grey Knight stood with his arms clasped behind his back as the demoness was brought forth into the testing chamber now being ordained aboard the Blood Raven Battle Barge, Litany of Fury. She was being escorted by two of Chapter Master Angelo's Terminator Battle Brothers each in heavy ceramite armor and carrying ornate gold engraved power spears. There spears gave off static discharges at their tips as the two lumbering metal clad giants motioned the foul demoness forward within the chamber, where the overhead lights created something of an arena, where a group of blue robed pyskers worked painting bloody runes upon the surrounding walls.

"At last we meet," said the Grey Knight with a hint of severity in his tone, "Demon of the Warp."

"Yes?" she replied, curtly with a lack of harsh emotion behind her voice, perfectly calm, without any external signs of anger, hate, or malice.

"This trial," continued the Grey Knight as the pyskers finished their tasks and started to take up positions around the room where an ornate blood circle had been drawn upon the floor, "Is meant to summon a warp fracture into this chamber. The walls have been warded so that this fracture will not spill forth into the rest of the ship. The circle drawn upon the floor where we are now standing will demark a safe zone within this warp fracture. Those who remain within this circle will remain untouched by the warp."

"I understand," said the demon as she looked over the drawn illustrations with a hint of curiosity and perhaps occult understanding, "These wards, the way in which the letters are arranged, I see that you intend to draw in the mind of the person who is linked to my physical body, the person feeding me pysker energy. I take it that only this persons mind can pass through this barrier, and whoever it is will be forcefully drawn into this trap."

The Grey Knight nodded, "Your trial is one of faith, humorous, for a demon. I intend to see if your continued summoner practioner is some sort of demented cultist or… perhaps… a much more subtle and corrosive threat."

The demon read through the lines, "You mean the Inquisitor that has invited me to join her team, this Rin?"

"Yes," replied the Grey Knight as he nodded to the Blood Angel Terminators, "Leave us brothers…"

The two Astartes nodded and rapped their fists upon their pauldrons in salute before leaving the room. Both the Grey Knight and Demoness watched the hydraulic door slam shut behind them with a loud clank signaling the activation of its hard locking mechanism.

"These Wards do not allow for a return from the Warp, unless their anchor has been severed lost," said the demoness flatly and without emotion.

"You are correct," replied the Grey Knight stepping towards her, coming within arms distance, "After the Trial has been completed you will be killed by my blade. This is the only way to sever the link with the warp when using this ceremony. Afterwards, you will need to resurrect aboard this ship once we reach the Eldar Craftworld. This is because, as you will anchor this ceremony into the warp, so too will this room anchor you to this ship, but you will not be able to resurrect until the void shields aboard this vessel are lowered. Do you know why?"

"Yes," she replied flatly, "It is because of the lack of warp energy needed for my manifestation. In order to manifest again I require a vast sacrifice of energy that can only come from the warp. This means that I can only resurrect when the void shields of this vessel are no longer in operation after leaving the warp, where I can then absorb energy freely from the warp."

"And this room?" he asked, leading her on.

The demoness once more studied the runes painted upon the chambers bulkheads, reading there unwords, and gathering there meaning fully. She nodded in approval and once more turned to face this Grey Knight standing before her.

"Once the ceremony is over this chamber will be like a self contained slice of the warp. The Inner circle where we are standing will prevent infiltration from the rift. The walls prevent exfiltration of the warp beyond this chamber. Once the ceremony is over and the warp is closed, the chamber will be opened thus allowing my essence to roam beyond the defensive wards since the inner wards are not meant as a reflective prison. No lingering demonic threats will remain once the fracture is sealed except for me because I am already standing within the inner seal."

"Exactly, your essence will be able to leave this chamber, but not in the physical flesh once this ceremony is concluded. Afterwards, you will be able to resurrect when this ship exits warp."

He nodded to the Pyskers and took several steps back until at last he was in the center of the chamber,"Now, it is time to begin…" he said with a sense of authority.

The Pyskers in their ornate blue robes all went upon their knees within the confines of the circle. Once seated, they started to chant a chorus of words, each in flawless unison;

_'In his name we invoke the right of passage'_

_'In his name we open the veil of passage'_

_'In his name we summon he who binds this being'_

_'In his name we identify he who hides behind the veil'_

The air within the chamber began to thicken and chill, ice started to creep along the walls, and the lights began to dim. Suddenly, the bulkheads vanished into shadows as the Pyskers continued their chanting, all in unison, all repeating their lines again and again without pause or distraction. The ornate symbols drawn in blood upon the bulkheads started to glow and harden as reality bent and disintegrated beyond their edge where the floor suddenly stopped existing.

Energy flared a fine mist of blue, purple, and red; just beyond the barrier. The area where the Grey Knight, his pyskers, and the demoness stood was like an isolated island within the warp, drifting nonchalantly within a storming torrent of the Immaterium.

"These unwords, fragments of creation, are one of the many weapons that the Grey Knights secretly have in our possession. Their archived existence was delivered upon us by an Inquistor named Ravenor and they have since been used as a fine weapon to sort out the heretics hiding on pure human worlds. Using these unwords, we have saved many innocent lives… and now we shall use them once again to find one guilty heretic."

It was now that things took a strange turn. Dark shadows, each on four legs, started to stalk around the isolated island of the Material Universe. They had sharp red eyes and white dagger like teeth, growling, drooling, as they stalked around the edges of the pysker field.

The demoness heard a wolf like howl and turned sharply to see one of these creatures attempt to breach the veil. It was instantly thrown back by a forceful charge of pysker energy.

"Astral Hounds, scavengers, they appear at every summoning," said the Grey Knight whilst unphased by the foul creatures appearance.

But, one of these creatures was differently. He appeared and strolled confidently towards the warp field. The Grey Knight turned to face this apparition, watching with surprise, as it passed without violence through the defensive barrier.

The Astral Hound walked past the chanting pyskers and sat upon his hind legs before the Grey Knight, starring up into his helm like an obedient domesticated animal.

"A mirrior?" he replied, surprised, "Very clever… and also very dangerous. Just as I expected…"

"What does this mean?" asked the demoness.

The Grey Knight looked at her with surprise still lingering behind his helmeted eyes, "It means that your summoner is capable of using an Astral Hound as a mirror, an intermediary for his-her pysker energy needed for your manifestation."

"Why is this important?"

"Because…" he nodded towards her, "Only one pysker has been recorded in all of human history of being capable of using an astral hound like a mirror. And, this begs some rather difficult questions about Inquisitor Rin's past."

The Grey Knight nodded in approval towards the demoness and unsheathed his blade from his side, "Forgive me demoness, but we will need to part ways for the time being…" and with that he ran her through the chest and shattered the chanting pyskers bonds to the warp that was holding the ritual in place.

The demoness remained stoic and nonemotional, evidently not taking her brief death personally, as she started to crumble into red electrically charged ashes that fell upon the floor.

Within seconds of the demoness disintegration from the reality fold, the chamber aboard the Blood Raven Battle Barge rematerialized into existence. The warp faded away despite the lingering effects of ice and chilling air still within the chamber. The pyskers started to wind down their chanting as some of the few lingering side effects from the ritual slowly dissipated.

It was at this moment that the Grey Knight resheathed his weapon and turned to face the opening bulkhead door. Now before him stood an Eldar Sword Matron and Ultramarine Veteran Sergeant, both newly arrived and ready for their own trials.


End file.
